Pharmaceuticals which enhance serotonergic neurotransmission are useful for the treatment of many psychiatric disorders, including depression and anxiety. The first generation of non-selective serotonin-affecting drugs operated through a variety of physiological functions which endowed them with several side-effect liabilities. The more currently prescribed drugs, the selective serotonin (5-HT) reuptake inhibitors (SSRIs), act predominately by inhibiting 5-HT, which is released at the synapses, from being actively removed from the synaptic cleft via a presynaptic scrotonin transport carrier.
The present invention relates to a new class of molecules which have the ability to act at the 5-HT transporter. Such compounds are therefore potentially useful for the treatment of depression as well as other serotonin disorders.
Described in WO 95/20588 are compounds of general formula: ##STR2##
Wherein R and R.sub.1 are each independently hydrogen or C.sub.1-4 alkyl, or R and R.sub.1 are linked to form an azetidine ring. These compounds are reported to have activity at the 5HT.sub.1 receptor and be useful for the treatment of migraine, headache and headache associated with vascular disorder.